Today, after my site presentation, we ventured on over to the Palatine Hill. There was only one entrance to the area, as it is now requires both a ticket and security check upon entering. After passing through the gates, we were faced with three paths. The choices were to proceed straight to the dead end that had several benches, to go left or to go right. I proceeded, along with most others, to the left, as that felt like a more natural approach.
At the beginning, while still in the entrance area and even on the lower half of the hill, the street noise was disrupting, juxtaposing the soothing landscape. The space was very open and green, a real relief from the pavement and close corridors of the city life just steps below.
The hill was irregularly shaped with multiple pathways and cutouts. The most satisfying part of the composition to me was that it felt by far the most hill-like out of all the Roman hills I have so far experienced.
Though the architectural structures served different purposes (servant housing, emperor housing, saunas, baths, Aqua Claudia piping) the connecting factor amongst all was the complex water and heating system that ran throughout. This demonstrated not only the importance of the emperor by showing how luxuriously he lived, but also depicted Roman systematic advancements.
The most impressive element of the hill was the view. It was unreal to be able to out look on the Colosseum, Arch of Constantine, Altare della Patria, the Forum, and so much more. On the other hand, the view on the opposite side of the hill, overlooking the Circus Maximus, was terribly disappointing as I could barely tell what grandeur had once occurred.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that both the left and right paths we had to decide between at the beginning joined up top and was able to walk the whole hill in a clockwise motion, finishing on the opposite side in which I had started (The Palatine Hill, 21.5.2015)